Dustproof lubrication device



E. C. CRITCHLOW.

DUSTPROOF LUBRICATION DEVICE.

APPLiCATlON FILED JAN 17. 1921.

Patented June 13, 1922.

INV ENTOR.

earns @FFHQ i EDWARD 00E CRITCHLO'W', 0F ORCUTT, CALIFORNIA.

DUSTPROOF LUBRICATION DEVICE.

Application filed January 17, 1921. Serial No. 437,706

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD Con GRITCH- Low, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Orcutt, in the county of Santa Barbara and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dustproof Lubrication Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices of the character including orificed lubricator fittings such as are generally employed in connection with the bearings of machinery, and refers more especially to the provision of means for preventing the entrance of dust to the orifice through which the lubricant is applied.

An object of the invention is to provide for a tightfitting dust-excluding cap, adapted to be retained on the lubricating nipple by the inherent contractile tension of the cap.

Another object is to provide a dust cap of this character, formed of a single sheet metal stamping, providing a contractile barrel portion adapted to frictionally engage a lubricator fitting and having a head affording a hand-hold to facilitate removal of the cap from the fitting.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

Figure 1 is a plan section of the invention as applied to a bearing which is also shown in section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side view of the cap shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of Figure 2.

As shown in the drawings, there is provided a lubricator fitting or nipple 1 screwthreaded into an orifice 2 in a shaft bearing 4t through which lubricant is adapted to be forced into the bearing. Any suitable means may be provided for forcing the lubricant through the bore 4L and, though such means form no part of this present invention, suitable lubricant-forcing means of the character referred to are shown described and claimed in my prior Patent No. 1,319,425, for lubricating system, dated October 21, 1919.

When the lubricant is not being applied to the nipple 1, the bore in said nipple may be closed by a cap 5 formed of a singlesheet metal stamping pressed into shape to provide a head 6 and a split barrel portion 7 the splits being indicated at 8. The intersplit portions constitute longitudinal resilient spring blades 9. The barrel portion 7 is constructed so that the blades 9 are normally bent or bowed inwardly at their tips or free ends to a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the tip of the nipple 1, so that when the cap is applied to the nipple the blades 9 will yieldingly clasp the nipple and thus retain the cap in place thereon.

Defining the junction of the head 6 and barrel portion 7 is an outstanding bead 10 which facilitates the grasping of the cap in forcing the cap onto the nipple and in withdrawing the cap therefrom,

This form of cap provides an inherently contractile barrel portion which frictionally grips the nipple to maintain the cap in position.

lVith the construction of cap as described, the nipple 1 may be of substantially the same diameter throughout or, as shown in l igurc 1 of the drawings, the nipple may be of larger diameter at its tip than at its intermediate portion. The tip of the nipple 1 is preferably reduced outwardly as indicated at 11 so as to facilitate the application of the cap to the nipple.

I claim:

1. An article of manufacture comprising a cap having a head, and an integral straight barrel split longitudinally to form inherently contractile spring blades, the blade portion of the barrel being gradually reduced in diameter from the base of the blades to the outer ends thereof so as to yieldingly clasp the periphery of the tubular nipple when the cap is in position thereon.

2. In a construction of the character described, a lubricator fitting having a bore and of greater outside diameter nearer its tip than at its intermediate portion, and a protecting cap having an inherently contractile barrel portion frictionally gripping the intermediate portion of the fitting.

3. In a construction of the character described, a lubricator fitting having a bore and having an outwardly reduced tip, and a protecting cap having a barrel portion split to form longitudinally extending spring blades adapted to be sprung outwardly by the tip of the fitting when the barrel is forced in upon the fitting.

Signed at Santa Maria, California, this 10th day of January, 1921.

EDWARD COE CRITCHLOVV.

itnesses LAURENCE L. GREENE, WILLIAM RYAN. 

